Reynolds selects Boston College

September 13, 2008|By SCOTT DAVIDSON Tribune Staff Writer

MISHAWAKA -- Kelsey Reynolds has never been one to shy away from a challenge on the basketball court. The Penn senior knows that will come in handy at the next level. Reynolds, a passionate, hard-nosed point guard, has made a verbal commitment to play at Boston College starting in 2009. "I know that I'll have to continue to work very hard, but I'm ready to compete against the best,'' said Reynolds. Reynolds had a breakout junior season as one of the area's most-improved players. The 5-foot-9 guard averaged a team-high 19 points a game for the Class 4-A No. 4 Kingsmen, who finished 19-3 under coach Mike Starrett. She led Penn in assists (5.0) and steals (3.0), while shooting 51 percent overall from the field. She was 45 percent from 3-point range. Reynolds averaged a team-high 14.1 points a game her sophomore season. Reynolds, a first-team All-Northern Indiana Conference pick in 2008, also considered Iowa, Virginia Tech, Auburn and Illinois. The Eagles went 21-12 overall and 7-7 in the Atlantic Coast Conference last year. Sylvia Crawley, a player on North Carolina's national championship team in 1994, is preparing for her first season as Boston College coach. Starrett, who took over the Penn program last season, knows what separates Reynolds from other players. "Kelsey has a will to win,'' said Starrett. "She hates to lose more than she loves to win, and that's a great attribute for a player. She has so many intangible qualities. "She improved a heck of a lot from her sophomore to junior season and that put her in the upper echelon of players. She's been on the same page with me since our first conversation. I trusted her and we clicked. She's our leader. "Kelsey has all the tools to compete at that level at BC. I think it's a good situation for her with a new coaching staff. She can grow with them.'' Reynolds has no regrets about giving up a promising future as a softball player to focus solely on hoops. "It was tough to do, especially at first, but I had to in order to reach this level as a basketball player,'' said Reynolds. Reynolds becomes the second member of the Penn program to commit. Classmate Lily Svete, a 6-2 forward, committed to Florida last year.